Remote labs for internet-delivered, performance-based certification exams

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for presenting an internet-delivered, performance-based certification exam to a user. The process requests connection details for a remote computing server in response to receiving a login from the user. The process transmits a web form to the user, wherein the web form presents an objective portion of the certification exam to the user. The process initiates a remote computing client to present a practical portion of the certification exam to the user, and responsive to receiving the completed certification exam from the user, the process calculates a score for the certification exam according to a verification script.

1 . A computer implemented method for presenting a certification exam to a user, the computer implemented method comprising:
 responsive to receiving a login of the user, requesting connection details for a remote computing server;   transmitting a web form to the user, wherein the web form presents an objective portion of the certification exam to the user;   initiating a remote computing client to present a practical portion of the certification exam to the user; and   responsive to receiving a completed certification exam from the user, calculating a score for the completed certification exam according to a verification script.   
   
   
       2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 copying the verification script to the virtual computing platform image.   
   
   
       3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote computing client is initiated as an applet. 
   
   
       4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the remote computing client is initiated in the web form. 
   
   
       5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote computing client is initiated as an application. 
   
   
       6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote computing server is hosted by a virtual computing platform image. 
   
   
       7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving exam performance data of the user, wherein the exam performance data is generated by the user during completion of the certification exam.   
   
   
       8 . A computer program product comprising:
 computer usable program code for presenting a certification exam to a user, the computer program product comprising:
 computer usable program code for requesting connection details for a remote computing server in response to receiving a login of the user; 
 computer usable program code for transmitting a web form to the user, wherein the web form presents an objective portion of the certification exam to the user; 
 computer usable program code for initiating a remote computing client to present a practical portion of the certification exam to the user; and 
 computer usable program code for calculating a score for a completed certification exam according to a verification script in response to receiving the completed certification exam from the user. 
   
   
   
       9 . The computer program product of  claim 8  further comprising:
 computer usable program code for copying the verification script to a virtual computing platform image, wherein the virtual computing platform image is hosting the remote computing server.   
   
   
       10 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the remote computing client is initiated as an applet. 
   
   
       11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the remote computing client is initiated in the web form. 
   
   
       12 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the remote computing client is initiated as an application. 
   
   
       13 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the remote computing server is hosted by a virtual computing platform image 
   
   
       14 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 computer usable program code for receiving exam performance data of the user, wherein the exam performance data is generated by the user during completion of the certification exam.   
   
   
       15 . A system for presenting a certification exam to a user, the system comprising:
 a first computing device operable by a user for taking the certification exam;   a second computing device for simulating a virtual machine image, wherein the virtual machine image hosts a remote computing server; and   a third computing device for requesting connection details for the remote computing server in response to receiving a login of the user; transmitting a web form to the user, wherein the web form presents an objective portion of the certification exam to the user; initiating a remote computing client to present a practical portion of the certification exam to the user; and calculating a score for a completed certification exam according to a verification script in response to receiving the completed certification exam from the user.